Academic growth in kindergarten: The effects of child-level and school-level factors on learning outcomes.

摘要

This study investigated relationships between kindergarteners' characteristics and their achievement of academic skills within the kindergarten year. In particular, differences were examined among children entering kindergarten as "young" (newly five years old) or "old" (already six years) while attending either a full-day or half-day kindergarten program. Students' gender and school-level socioeconomic status were also addressed as variables. Results of hierarchical linear modeling indicate that an academic outcome advantage resides specifically with young-for-grade boys in full-day classrooms versus half-day. Other findings support past research, including significantly higher gains for full-day kindergarteners and achievement benefits of full-day kindergarten for students in low-socioeconomic school settings. This study contributes to the body of knowledge about children's readiness for school, academic expectations within a critical age spread, and the current push to be teaching children more, earlier.